Soap dispenser



Feb. 12, 1957 W,v H, WALL() ZJSLS@ SOAP DISPENSER Filed 001". 13, 1954 United States Patent SOAP DSPENSER William H. Walle, Skokie, ill.

Application October 13, 1954, Serial Not 462,023

6 Claims. (Cl. 222-531) My invention relates to dispensing devices and particularly to a dispensing device usable with boxes containing granular niaterials such as, for example, the well known household soaps and detergents.

The boxes in which granulated soaps and similar materials are normally sold almost universally have a perforated or similarly weakened area yadjacent the upper portions of one of their side walls. The housewife normally presses this weakened area inwardly to create an opening in the box from which she may pour the granular Y materials contained therein. it is accordingly one object of my invention to provide a simple and easily operated device for use with such boxes which may permit theV creation of a control opening through which to pourthe material and willat the same time provide a means for closing the box when not in use to prevent spilling.

Another purpose is to provide a dispensing device for granular materials for use with such boxes wherein a-l portion of the device is eiective to prevent the device from slipping out of contact with the box when the device is used.

Another object is to provide a granular soap-dispensing device having an element eiective to position a portion of the box, which normally would tend to close an opening in the box, in non-closing position when the device is in operation.-

Another purpose is to provide a dispensing device which is simple in construction and economical to manufacture and a device which in itself has no moving parts, but which is designed for movement relative to the box on which it is used.

Another purpose is to provide a soap-dispensing device which may be easily and readily attached to a box containing granular soap or other granular materials.

Another object of my invention is to provide a soapdispensing device which may be retained on the box in which the soap is packaged and a device including a pair of members adapted to clamp a portion of the box therebetween.

Other objects will appear from time to time in the course of the specication and claims.

I will illustrate my invention .more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying -drawings wherein:

Figure l is a perspective view illustrating my 'device as attached to a package.

Figure 2 is a side view in cross-section and on 'an enlarged scale taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a View similar to that of Figure 2 and showing my device in another position relative to the box.

Figure 4 is a front elevation on a scale reduced over that of Figures 2 Iand 3.

Figure 5 is a view taken on a line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a rear elevation; and

Figure 7 is a view taken on a line of 7--7 of Figure 4.

Like parts are indicated lby like numerals throughout the specification yand drawings.

Referring now to the drawings and particularly to Figure 1, the numeral 1 generally indicates a soap package or box containing some form of granular materials such as soap or cereals, etc. The box 1 has a top wall 2, a side wall 3, and a front and rear wall, the front wall being partially shown as at 4.

Continuing to refer to Figure 1 which shows my soapdispensing device as attached to the package 1, the numeral 5 generally designates a top wall of my device.k A front wall of my device is illustrated at'6. A pair of rearwardly extending parallel side walls 7, 8 are posi-l tioned to lie'along and against the front and rear walls respectively of the box 1. The front wall 6 may be cut as indicated generally at 10 in Figure 4, the ycut 10 comprising a pair of parallel spaced vertical cuts and a single horizontal cut adjacent the bottom edge of the front wall 6, thus forming the front wall in the shape of a frame.

The bottom edge of the central portion 15 within the cut 10 of the wall 6 may be rearwardly bent slightly as indicated generally at 16 in Figure 2 in order to provide for ease of insertion through an opening 17 in the box 1. The wall 3 of the box may include an upper portion 3a which is inwardly bent to create the box-opening 17 as indicated generally at Figures 1, 2 and 3. The springlike wall portion 15 of my Idevice may in turn have a cutout or dispensing window or opening 20 positioned somewhat in the center thereof. A portion of that part of the wall 15 which was cut to form the opening 20 may be rearwardly bent along the upper edge of the cut-out 2G as indicated generally at 21 in Figure 2, the purpos of which will appear hereinafter. v

lIt will be realized that whereas l have described and illustrated a practical and operative device, nevertheless, many changes may be made in the size, shape, number and disposition of parts without departing from the spirit or my invention. i, therefore, wish my description and drawings to be taken as in a broad sense illustrative or diagrammatic, rather thanas limiting me to rny precise showing.

The use and operation of my invention vare as follows:

The user, in order to insert my device, merely presses inwardly on the box portion 3a to create the opening 17 in the side wall 3 of the box 1. The user then merely inserts the lower inwardly bent portion 16 of the central wall portion 15 into the opening from above. The device is then slid downwardly, the upper portion of the box wall 3 immediately adjacent and below the box-opening 17 being gripped between the back face of the frame wall 6 and the front face of the center wall portion 1S, which acts as a spring-like iinger, to clamp the box wall 3 therebetween. As illustrated in Figure 2, when the device is pressed its full length downward until the' top wall 5 of the device rests upon the top wall 2 of the box, the opening 17 in the box is completely sealed o and it is impossible for spillage of the granular material within the box 1 tooccur.

When the user desires to pour material from the box 1 it is necessary only that the device be raised until the opening 2o in the spring-finger wall portion 15 is brought into alignment with the opening 17 in the box 1. As-

best seen in Figures 2 and 3, as the device is raised upwardly, the inwardly bent portion 21 contacts thebox portion 3a and forces it rearwardly away from the box opening 17 thus preventing any jamming of the material` Patented Feb. '12, 1957 or closing 4of the opening 17. In addition, the inwardly bent-'portion 2-1 acts as a stop meansto preventthe ydevice Vfrom being lifted too far'upwardly so as to move the opening 2!) beyond the openingr17 in the box `1 or to causeY Vthedevice to-slip out of engagement with-the box.

`=It will be realized that thenser can-controljthe size of the opening 4vfromfwhich material will -ilow bycontrollingrthe amount of the opening 20 which is placed in alignment with the opening `'7in'the Vbox f1. This is 'con trolled easily and simply merely by gauging and controllingthe height'of the top wall 5 of my device above the Y top'wall 1 of the box.

I claim: f i i Y Y Ll. YlFor' vuse with a box having 'an Vopening."adjacent Yan upper portion of the side wallthereof, a dispensing device'for4 granular materials containedvwithin the box,'

said device 'comprising Va front wall adapted to engage and lslide alongsaid box side-wall, a top Vwall adaptedV to seatupon the top wall of said box when the device is inV Vits lowermost position, and a pair of `sidewalls adapted tofenga'ge and slide along the'front and rear walls Vof said box, a central, wall portion spaced inwardlyfrom .said v front-wall Iand adapted'to pass through said box opening, said last named wall being spaced inwardly from said front wall a distance less than the thickness of the side wallrof said box whereby/.said side wall will be gripped between the outer surface of said 'last named wall and the inner surface of said front wall, and an open- Y ing in vsaid last named wall portion spaced downwardly from the'upper edge thereof, said last named wall portion having an inwardly bent portion alongthe upper edge of said wall opening rsaid last Vnamed wall opening being positioned for alignment with the opening in said box when said device Vis raised upwardly a distance suf-r 'icient toplace said inwardly bent portion in engagement with a portion of said box normally in alignment with said lbox opening.V

. V2. A soap dispensing device for rectangularboxes com. prising a body portion slidably mounted on the sidewall of said box, said body .portion having anuppervwall adaptedto seat on Vthe top wall of said box and to limit the downward movement of said device, saiddevice having-a vspring arm central portion adapted to pass through l an opening said box and to grip the side wall of said box between `said body portion and said Vspring "arm, said 4. The. strnctureof 'claim' 2 characterized Ybyianrdjin- Y cluding an inwardly bentrportion-along the upper edge of said opening inV said spring arm adapted to Contact a' V portion of the side wall of said box whichwould normally be in alignment with the opening in saidV box, and to forcesaid box side wall portion inwardly andupwardly out of alignment with said opening. Y Y

5. VThe structure of Yclaim 2 characterized by 'and in- VVcluding anV inwardly brent lower edge portion on said spring arm adapted vto -facilitate the attachment of said device to said boxby the passage of said spring armV through said box opening.

6. A soap dispensing device having means for controlling the size Aofthewsoap dispensing opening, including a body portion adapted for slidable movement along the side wallof a box having an opening, lan elongated spring arm wallk portion extending `through said openingV and clamping said box side wall between said body kportion Yand said spring arm, an opening in said spring arm be lowthe central portion thereof, but substantially spacedY from thelower edgethereorhwhereby said device may-be moved'upwardly along said side wall to place the opening 'in said spring larm `in various degrees of alignment withrthe opening in said box while retaining said device on said side wall whereby the size of the opening to which the material may be dispensed from said box `is i controlled.V Y

Y ReferencesV Cited in the tile of this patent Y UNiTED STATES PATENTS Y 2,099,322 Wiswell Nov. V.16, 1937 

